Scottish Executive

Environment

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates radioactive particles have been found at Sandside Beach in Reay since monitoring of the beach commenced in 1984.

Ross Finnie: The dates on which particles were found on Sandside Beach, since 1984, are shown in the table.

  


Particle Number 
  

Date 
  



1 
  

28-04-1984 
  



2 
  

28-05-1997 
  



3 
  

24-11-1997 
  



4 
  

29-07-1999 
  



5 
  

17-08-1999 
  



6 
  

10-09-1999 
  



7 
  

23-09-1999 
  



8 
  

20-12-1999 
  



9 
  

17-02-2000 
  



10 
  

02-03-2000 
  



11 
  

14-04-2000 
  



12 
  

17-07-2000 
  



13 
  

16-08-2000 
  



14 
  

03-11-2000 
  



15 
  

16-02-2001 
  



16 
  

12-06-2001 
  



17 
  

26-06-2001 
  



18 
  

11-03-2002 
  



19 
  

15-03-2002 
  



20 
  

16-04-2002 
  



21 
  

29-11-2002 
  



22 
  

23-12-2002 
  



23 
  

26-02-2003 
  



24 
  

27-02-2003 
  



25 
  

27-02-2003 
  



26 
  

03-03-2003 
  



27 
  

13-03-2003 
  



28 
  

18-03-2003 
  



29 
  

20-03-2003 
  



30 
  

27-03-2003 
  



31 
  

28-03-2003 
  



32 
  

28-03-2003 
  



33 
  

02-04-2003 
  



34 
  

08-04-2003 
  



35 
  

10-04-2003 
  



36 
  

10-04-2003 
  



37 
  

11-04-2003 
  



38 
  

11-04-2003 
  



39 
  

12-05-2003 
  



40 
  

12-05-2003

Environment

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of radioactivity was present in radioactive particles found at Sandside Beach in Reay since monitoring of the beach commenced in 1984.

Ross Finnie: The table shows the activity of caesium 137 (Cs137), cobalt 60 (Co60) and niobium 94 (Nb94) in the particles found on Sandside Beach since 1984.

  


Particle Number 
  

Date 
  

Cs 137
[Bq]1


Co60
[Bq] 
  

Nb94
[Bq] 
  



1 
  

28-04-1984 
  

2.00E+05 
  

nd2


nd 
  



2 
  

28-05-1997 
  

1.50E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



3 
  

24-11-1997 
  

1.50E+05 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



4 
  

29-07-1999 
  

9.30E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



5 
  

17-08-1999 
  

6.10E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



6 
  

10-09-1999 
  

1.81E+05 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



7 
  

23-09-1999 
  

3.00E+05 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



8 
  

20-12-1999 
  

6.50E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



9 
  

17-02-2000 
  

7.57E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



10 
  

02-03-2000 
  

4.63E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



11 
  

14-04-2000 
  

6.25E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



12 
  

17-07-2000 
  

1.20E+05 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



13 
  

16-08-2000 
  

4.00E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



14 
  

03-11-2000 
  

4.80E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



15 
  

16-02-2001 
  

1.00E+05 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



16 
  

12-06-2001 
  

6.10E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



17 
  

26-06-2001 
  

5.70E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



18 
  

11-03-2002 
  

9.10E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



19 
  

15-03-2002 
  

1.10E+05 
  

nd 
  

100 
  



20 
  

16-04-2002 
  

6.40E+04 
  

nd 
  

98 
  



21 
  

29-11-2002 
  

8.90E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



22 
  

23-12-2002 
  

3.90E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



23 
  

26-02-2003 
  

1.30E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



24 
  

27-02-2003 
  

6.56E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



25 
  

27-02-2003 
  

8.29E+04 
  

nd 
  

98 
  



26 
  

03-03-2003 
  

1.90E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



27 
  

13-03-2003 
  

8.40E+03 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



28 
  

18-03-2003 
  

2.70E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



29 
  

20-03-2003 
  

1.30E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



30 
  

27-03-2003 
  

4.10E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



31 
  

28-03-2003 
  

6.10E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



32 
  

28-03-2003 
  

6.40E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



33 
  

02-04-2003 
  

5.70E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



34 
  

08-04-2003 
  

1.30E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



35 
  

10-04-2003 
  

1.50E+05 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



36 
  

10-04-2003 
  

1.60E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



37 
  

11-04-2003 
  

3.80E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



38 
  

11-04-2003 
  

2.30E+04 
  

nd 
  

nd 
  



  Notes:

  1. [Bq] – Becquerel.

  2. nd - not detected.

Environment

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what chemical and radioactive compounds were contained in each radioactive particle found at Sandside Beach in Reay since monitoring of the beach commenced in 1984.

Ross Finnie: The monitoring of Sandside beach is a matter for the independent regulator, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). Analysis shows that the particles contain the isotopes caesium 137, niobium 94 and cobalt 60, along with the elements uranium, aluminium and traces of calcium, iron, magnesium, sodium and silicon. The analyses undertaken on the particles do not indicate the chemical compounds in which these constituents are contained.

Environment

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what chemical and radioactive materials or compounds the UK Atomic Energy Authority establishment at Dounreay has been licensed to discharge.

Ross Finnie: This information is not held centrally. It is available from the independent regulator, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, on its public registers.